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December 6, 2011

Pakistan Boycotts Summit on Afghanistan in Germany 
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The bombing of a Shia Muslim shrine in Kabul comes after foreign leaders
gathered in Germany on Monday for a meeting on Afghanistan's future and
the NATO role there. Afghan President Hamid Karzai told attendees his
government will need political and military support for another decade
and financial backing until at least 2030. The conference took place
without Pakistan, which announced a boycott following the deadly NATO
raid that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers late last month. U.S. Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton criticized Pakistan's decision.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: "I think it was unfortunate that
they did not participate. And I said in my prepared remarks that it
would have been better if they had come, so we regretted the choice that
they made because today's conference was an important milestone towards
a kind of security and stability that is important for Pakistan, as well
as for Afghanistan."



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